The Nigh
by Meachy
Summary: A frighten child intentivly listens to a story from her mother, to calm her to sleep. But just who is telling the story? (Ryoko is comming soon, be patient)
1. Default Chapter

A Children's Story: The Night //Tenchi Muyo based  
  
Well, it's been almost 4 years since I've actually picked up a paper and pen (aka. sat infront of a keypad) with the intent of finishing a fic. I have started a few, but after a while I just shelved them in the back of my hard drive.  
  
Well, a little bit back someone emailed me about the last fic I wrote, and that got me enthused to actually get something I finished that I started back when I wrote the other.  
  
The reason I shelved it was due to me biting off more then I could chew. It was a difficult premiss to begin with. I was intending on creating a story, implanting a story within it, and capping it off with a surprised ending that answers just who is telling the story. The latter and conclusion of the three wasn't so difficult, but the second story seemed to drag on.  
  
Any way, I took the idea of a small child spending her first night in a bedroom separate from her parents. This is something that anybody that can remember their childhood can relate to. The child is frightened by pretty much everything around her in the dark. When her fear proves to be the victor, her mother attempts to calm the child with a bed-time story.  
  
The bedtime story itself became difficult due to the fact that I wanted to take elements from all of the different Tenchi Muyo continuums and create a similar story but at the same time different enough to make the identity of the teller impossible to figure out. All-in-all, it was looking okay. Yet it was getting far to long.  
  
I try to stay within a certain restraint when it comes to fanfics, 10-15 pages tops for a long oneshot. Anything beyond that can either loose the interest of the reader or makes the outcome skew from what it was originally intended to be. Also it becomes a short story, which defeats the purpose for a oneshot fanfic. At the point of it's untimely demise, I had reached just under 20 page mark, and I was probably only 3/4ths of the way through with it.  
  
At the least, I'm going to hammer out some ways to shorten the side story. But I could use some feed back on the cover story of the child and mother. I'm attaching the beginning of it. I'm looking for grammatical correctness and theoretical fluidity.  
  
The only thing different from the first post is I took the advice of a few responses, both on and off of the board, to remove the child-dialect. I also did some smoothing of the remaining material I had and I intend on submitting them in sections as chapters.  
  
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"The Night" (updated)  
  
  
  
The night's voice was loud in the still of the storm. The whistle of the wind whaled, imaginary feet scurried along the floor, and the tapping sound of windows caused by raindrops grew ever so louder with each passing heartbeat. Tucked in a ball under a bundle of sheets lay a small child, shaking with the intended fear for one her age - - when left in a dark room by themselves. Places of such a nature can become large grottoes in the eyes of a fearful child.  
  
She remained there motionless with both eyes shut tight like rusted cellar doors. Her ears were her only means of interaction between her and the surrounding orchestra of frightful sounds. The simple things that clicked, whistled, and cracked in the night were vile hideous monsters in her mind. She held her breath as she tried to wait them out. Her hope was that they'd all go away if she waited long enough. However, the loud cackle of a thunderbolt sent the air from her fragile lungs to her mouth, as she screamed out, "MOMMY!!! DADDY!!!"  
  
A young woman ran into the room, followed by her spouse. The little girl was sitting up in her bed rubbing the tears out of her eyes. She leaned out and reached for her mother, as the young lady sat down beside her.  
  
Her father sat down on the other side of the bed and placed a hand on the back of her head. The child had it buried in her mother's shoulder. She lifted her head and looked into her mother's eyes with a cute, scared, puppy dog expression as she asked, "Can I please sweep in your bed tonight?" Her father began to reply, "Sure you ca…," but he was cut off by his wife.  
  
"Dear, why don't you go downstairs and make us all some tea? I'll take care of things here, okay…"  
  
"Oh, okay… Two cups of tea coming up for my two special ladies."  
  
He began to leave out of the room. When he reached the door, he looked back at his wife and daughter. His daughter still had her face buried in his wife shoulder; with both shuteyes watering like small waterfalls. He thought about turning around and going back inside, but his wife waved him on. Her gesture and steady expression told him that she knew what she was doing. So he pressed forward and left the room.  
  
His wife watched him leave and then began to rub the head that was nestled so close to her.  
  
"Honey, you're a big girl now. I know this is your first night sleeping by yourself, but you have to learn to be strong."  
  
"But I'm scared… Please mommy… I'll be good."  
  
"Oh honey, we didn't put you in this room to punish you. It's just time for you to have a room of your own. You're mommy's big girl now, remember?"  
  
The child rubbed her eyes with the back of one of her hands, and began to nod slightly as she replied, "Uh huh." Her mother placed her thumb on her cheek and then scrolled across it to rub off the remaining tears. Now with her face dried, her mother placed both of her hands on her daughter's shoulders and positioned her back down in bed. She then began to tap the bottom of her chin with one of fingers, as she smiled from the idea she had formulated  
  
"I bet I know how to take your mind off of being in your new room."  
  
"How?"  
  
"I'm going to tell you a story.  
  
"What kind of a story?"  
  
"Any kind that you'd like."  
  
"A love story?"  
  
"Sure honey, if that's what you'd like?"  
  
"Uh huh…"  
  
"Hm… Let's see. Ah, I know one you might like. I saw this in a dream.  
  
A long time ago... 


	2. The Nigh chpt. 2

A long time ago, in a far away dimension, there was a beautiful princess named Aeka. Her kingdom was a placed called Jurai. It was filled with many people and wonderful trees. In fact, the trees could fly."  
  
"They could?!"  
  
"Uh huh…  
  
"What else could they do mommy?"  
  
"Well… The wood from these trees was magical, and the logs from it could talk."  
  
"Wow, tell me some more about Aeka."  
  
"Let's see…  
  
She was eldest daughter to the king, so she would be the next in line to rule. All she had to do was get married. However, she didn't want to marry just anyone. She wanted to fall in love with a handsome prince. Someone that would love her and that could share a life together, but her father wanted to choose her spouse. He ordered that the princess must marry someone of royal blood. It had been that way for eons and would not change."  
  
"That's not fair!"  
  
"Heh... That's how Aeka felt. But she knew the law of the land. The heir to the throne would have to marry someone that is from one of the royal families.  
  
Aeka turned down ever person her father sent, but by doing so she only made her father mad. He knew that she didn't want to be forced into getting married, so he tried to give her a chance to pick from the people that he deemed fit. Time was running out and Aeka would have to make a choice soon or her father would do it for her.  
  
Aeka found something wrong with every suitor that was sent. She didn't want to marry any of them, so she went to her mother for help. Aeka's mother smiled and told her a story of a wondrous young prince. He was a skillful swordsman, intelligent, brave, kind, and handsome. The prince is about the same age also. Aeka asked the name of the young prince and her mother replied Yosho. Her mother then told her that Yosho had gone off to fight a monster. Aeka found that she wanted to meet this noble young man that her mother described more and more with each passing word. Her mother could tell this too, so she decided to help her attempt to. It would be difficult to find him. He had been gone on his search for the monster that had attacked their planet for a while now, and all contact had been lost to him. But Aeka was willing to take that chance. Without attempting to get her husbands approval, Aeka's mother ordered a ship and sent Aeka on her way.  
  
The young princess flew throughout the stars and vast reaches of space in search of her possible prince. At times she was afraid, just like you were tonight. But she knew she had to be a big girl and not let her fear beat her. So no matter how scared she got she toughed it out, and seeing that you're my little princess you should be able to do the same thing. Now are you my big little princess?"  
  
"Uh huh..." The small child replied as she let out a little yawn.  
  
"Good…  
  
Aeka's journey was long, but she was not going to quit. Eventually she ran across an unusual occurrence. On a small blue planet, she received and indicator that a criminal wanted by Jurai was on the planet. Even though she was on a quest for her prince, she could not deny her duties as a princess. She went to the planet to further investigate. Upon entering it's atmosphere she located the area that was giving off the reading. It appeared to be near a shrine of some sort. Aeka landed her ship nearby and walked to the shrine. She entered it and followed its long pathway. It was dark and scary inside. There was a bit of a chill from a passing wind and the walls were moist. Yet the princess was intrigued and continued on. She reached an opening that lead to a large room. Inside the center was a raised monument and behind it was a crypt. Aeka walked up to the tomb. She was curious of what was inside it, so she looked around to find something to prop it open with. In front of the monument, there appeared to be a sturdy hinge piece. It wasn't that big and it was covered with a lot of hard clay and cobwebs, but it would do nicely for the task that she intended. She took it in hand and used it as a level to pry open the lid to the crypt. To her surprise, it opened without too much of a hassle.  
  
Aeka pushed back the lid just far enough so she could see inside of it. She found what appeared to be a mummy. She reached down to touch it but jerked back as she heard a voice. Aeka snapped her head around as she tried to hone in on its point of origin, but it was to no avail. The sound seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere at the same time. The voice echoed off the walls and into here ears, as she searched for the person that spoke. Her eyes flashed from side to side until they were centered back to the crypt. Aeka noticed that the inside had begun to give off a glow. The light being emitted grew brighter and brighter. It had become blinding. In a feigned attempt, she tried to cover her eyes with her arm. She glanced back toward the light to see something stir from within the crypt. It appeared to be the mummified figure, now with glowing red eyes and arms outstretched like lifeless hooks. The blinding light that surrounded it went dim. Aeka completely moved her arm from her eyes and stared directly at the terrifying figure before her. She wanted to turn and run, but her legs were paralyzed with fear. She wanted to scream, but her lungs would not allow it. She stood there and watched, as her heartbeat accelerated. The figure floated out of the tomb and landed only a few feet in front of her. The two of them peered into each other's eyes and then Aeka heard the voice again. "I am the guardian. Why have you disturbed this holy place?" echoed throughout the room. Aeka was surprised by the voice again. The figure did not speak. It was as if the room was speaking for it. Again the voice spoke.  
  
"Why are you here? For eons many a tyrant has come to claim the power here. I exist to judge those that are foolish enough to dare control it. You have now placed your bid upon them. The power that dwells in the place is not to be used for evil. If you're purpose is unjust, you will not live to see the light of day."  
  
Aeka flinched at the words and mustered the strength to choke out the reply, "My name is Aeka, I am the crown princess of Jurai. I have come in search of my love. I have no need for your power. I have come a long way to find the one that I wish to share my life, and I will not stop till I find him." The room stilled as the two froze in place. The mummified figure raised its right arm in the aim of Aeka. Beams of light began to accumulate in the palm of its hand. The voice once again reigned out from the walls, "You have been judged unworthy, all that you claim will be taken from you." Aeka was still paralyzed with fear. She closed her eyes tightly and screamed out, "I don't want your stupid power! All I want is to find Yosho!" With those words the item that Aeka had used as a prop rod sprouted to life and flew in-between Aeka and the figure. At one end of it, a glowing blade shot out to add to its appearance as a sword. The item hovered for a second then began to spin is a circle. The sword gave the impression of a shield, as it spun before her. The mummified figure did not move. It's hand continued to absorb energy from the air, until it had a sizeable amount in the form of a large glowing sphere. At that point it dispersed the ball from its hand in the direction of Aeka. The young princess watched as the ball of light made contact with the sword shielding her. A brilliant flash of light engulfed the entire room. Aeka could feel its warmth surrounding her. Her skin quickly felt as if it was on fire. She struggled to breath, but the air was too hot to inhale. The greatest fear came true as she felt her life slipping away. 


	3. The Nigh chpt. 3

Aeka woke to find her surroundings changed. She was no longer in the cave. Instead she was inside of a traditionally furnished room. She sat up and surveyed her new surroundings. The full extent of what happened had not hit her yet. She tried to figure out what had happen, but she quickly realized that she could not remember anything. It was harsh since not only had the occurrence that she just under went been forgotten, but also everything else. She could not remember where she came from, why she was there, or what she was. The only thing she could remember was her name. Dismay overwhelmed her as she clutched herself for reassurance. Emotions boiled over as tears began to swell up inside of her eyes. Her prelude of weeping was interrupted by the sound of someone walking toward her direction.  
  
"Ah, so you're finally awake. Hello, I am Lord Katsuhito; I've been very worried about you. It's been 3 days now since we've found you near the shrine. The closest hospital is very far away. I was not sure of your condition, so I brought you here. I was afraid that the long trip would wear down on you too much. It does my old heart well to see you've recuperated. May I ask your name?"  
  
Aeka was a little shocked by the old man's presence. At first she didn't say anything. She was curled in a semi-ball on the floor. Her hands clutched at the cover that was placed atop her. She didn't know how to accept what was happening. Lord Katsuhito could see the young lady was still in a state of shock. He did not want to tax her too far, so he decided to leave her now and return later. Before he left, he spoke out again.  
  
"You've slept the better half of the day. It should be time for lunch. My grandson caught some fish that we can eat. I hope you like them with sautéed vegetables? I picked the cabbage and celery this morning from my garden. Feel free to rest some more. It should take me a little while to get everything ready."  
  
"Aeka…"  
  
"What?"  
  
"I know my name is Aeka. It's the only thing I can really remember. I don't know anything else about who I am or what I'm doing here."  
  
"Well, at least you have something we can work with. As long as you need help, I will be more than happy to supply it. For the time being, just try not to over exert yourself. I'm going to prepare lunch now."  
  
With that said, Lord Katsuhito gave her a smile and turned out of the room. Aeka was less tensed, but she was still somewhat distraught. She laid back down on the floor and pulled the cover up to her neck. The quiet pause of the room settled her some, as she mentally came to grips with her current situation.  
  
After a little while Lord Katsuhito returned to find Aeka kneeling in the center of the room. The cover was folded neatly and placed to her side. Upon his entry, Aeka bent forward and placed her head atop her hands on the floor. It was a sign of respect and gratitude that Lord Katsuhito felt was unnecessary. He walked over and helped her to her feet. As he did Aeka said, "I want to properly thank you for taking care of me." To which he replied, "Such deeds do not require praise. It is the least that I can do and is expected of any man." The two fully stood and began to walk out of the room.  
  
Aeka walked slowly behind the old man. While they walked, Lord Katsuhito struck up a conversation when he asked Aeka a question about the clothes she was wearing. Aeka blushed as she realized that she was wearing a royal kimono. She hadn't thought about how fancy her appearance must have looked. She tried to think up something quick to say. With little thought on an explanation she sighed and told him she was unsure about her clothing. However, he caught her off guard when he replied that it looked similar to the one that his daughter wore on her wedding day. Aeka was struck with puzzlement as she paused her for a second, but she quickly regain her train of thought and sped up to rejoin the old man as he entered a room to his right.  
  
The two kneeled before a floor table and began to eat. Aeka poked at her food for a second, as she tried to decide what to eat first. Lord Katsuhito noticed that she wasn't eating. He asked if there was something wrong with his cooking, but Aeka replied that it all look so nice that she didn't know where to start. The old man smiled at the compliment to his cooking and returned to his own plate. The room was silent as they ate. They finished together and placed their plates atop one another. Lord Katsuhito stood up and led Aeka to the entrance of the house. While they walked, Lord Katsuhito broke the air of silence once again, when he asked her if she would like to see the shrine. Aeka didn't reply. She looked at him and blushed again as she remembered that she was practically trespassing on his property. When they exited the house they went down a path and reached the stairs leading to the shrine. The two of them continued onward and reach the foot of a large stairway. The entire time, Lord Katsuhito hummed to himself. While Aeka's thoughts focused on trying to remember anything about herself, but her concentration was broken every so often to enjoy the scenery. The cherry trees that stood above them seem to dance as a gentle wind blew their leaves back and forth. Rays of light would brake through the canopy and shine down upon her face, while cherry blossom leaves slowly traveled down on gusts of wind. An occasional one would float down in front of her or land on he face. All of these things grabbed her attention and for a minute moment that caused her to feel a sense of peace.  
  
The two reached the top and entered the shrine. The second room from the entrance was setup for tea ceremonies. Aeka knew where the guest position was, so she kneeled there and waited for Lord Katsuhito to return with the tea. After a minute or two, he entered with a traditional tea pot and two matching saucer cups. Each was filled tealeaves. He placed one in front of Aeka and one across from her. Yosho picked up a separate dish, containing honey, from the table and poured it into both cups. Then he poured the hot contents of the teapot into her cup first then his. The old man put the pot down and kneeled in his position on the floor. Aeka leaned over and picked up her cup. She swirled it a little then lowered her head down to it. The aroma was nice as she blew on it to cool the surface down. Then she took her first sip. At this time, Lord Katsuhito had joined in. Aeka leaned back up and looked at the old man. She was curious about his kindness, and about how she ended up in his care in the first place. She placed her saucer down and spoke.  
  
"Lord Katsuhito. Are you the only one here at the shrine? Forgive me for asking, but this seems to be quite a bit of work and responsibility for one individual to have."  
  
"No my dear. The responsibility is not a burden. However, I do have some help maintaining the shrine. My grandson Tenchi does most of the chores here. He should be out in the fields about now. I believe he was going to plant some sweet potatoes today."  
  
"Ah… so he's a farmer?"  
  
"Heh… farming is just one of the thing that he finds time to do. I think you may have a few things common. That why I hoped the two of you would get a chance to meet before you left."  
  
"Oh, I see. Lord Katsuhito please forgive me, but I'm afraid that I must be leaving soon. I thank you for your kindness, but I can not infringe on you any longer."  
  
"There is no need for you to feel that way. Until you get your memory back, I insist that you stay here with us. It would be rude to deny my hospitality. I'm sure you just need a little more time here, and I believe that you could find your identity with the help of my grandson. He should be up from the fields shortly. In fact I think I may hear him now."  
  
Lord Katsuhito stood up and walked over to the door. He smiled as he saw the familiar top of the young man in question ascending up the stairs. He waved Aeka over to look. She reluctantly stood up and walked over. Her eye caught the image of a young man dressed in farm hand clothes and dirty smudges on his arms and face. He looked very commonly, but he had an air of wonderment that surrounded him. Lord Katsuhito stepped back and kneeled at his position on the floor.  
  
The young man reached the door to the shrine and meet eye to eye with the young lady. He didn't speak at first. Neither did she. The two just stood there and looked at one another, each observing the detail of the other to the fullest. Then their focuses were broken when Tenchi glanced away toward this grandfather and spoke, "Good. She's finally awake. She should be able to leave now." Aeka was surprised by his words. He seemed cold and uncaring. She drew back from him. Lord Katsuhito frowned at his grandson's conduct, but he did not lash back at him. Instead he cleared his throat and glanced hard at him. "Now that's no way to speak to Ms. Aeka. She is a guest in our home, and has lost all of her memories. We will do our best to help her restore her past. Until then, we will show her our utmost respect," said the now forward old man. Tenchi did not show any response to the words. His focus was on Lord Katsuhito, but he slowly turned away and faced Aeka.  
  
Tenchi put down the farming equipment he was holding and slightly bowed as he declared his name in an introductory greeting. Aeka brought both of her hands to her waist and did the same. Tenchi slowly raised his head so that he could get another good look at the young lady. He tried not to show any signs of anger, but Aeka could tell he did not want her around. Tenchi returned to his upright position and looked back once more at Lord Katsuhito. He then decided to leave the two of them to their tea. Aeka face exposed her disappointment. She was more uncertain of staying with them now. She was about to once again tell Lord Katsuhito that it may be best that she leave, but before she could she heard him sigh loudly.  
  
"I'll never understand that boy. Please forgive him Ms. Aeka, his words are not well thought out. Neither do they correctly express his true actions. While you were unconscious he helped nurse you back to health even more than I. For the first two nights he stayed by your side."  
  
"He did?"  
  
"Yes. I had to make him leave your bedside on the third day. He had not left you once before that."  
  
Aeke blushed for a second then wondered why someone that had been so unkind to her just now could have been so kind and caring before then. Her interest had been sparked in the young man. She felt that it might be helpful if she went to him and thanked him for watching over here. She rose from the ground and began to walk out of the door after him. As she existed the entrance, she saw him just about to enter a nearby shed. As she looked over at him she noticed something in the distance behind him. It appeared to be an opening. At that moment, a rush of partial memories flashed through her head. The image of the mummified figure burned itself in. Aeka felt her body go limp. Her legs gave way and she toppled the short distance of the elevated stoop entrance to the base ground. Tenchi threw down his farming equipment and ran to her aid. Lord Katsuhito noticed her fall too and went to her aid also. When he got to her, Tenchi had already reached her. The young man tried to help Aeka to her feet, but she quickly toppled back onto him when she tried to apply some weight to her bruised ankle. Lord Katsuhito immediately ordered Tenchi to carry Aeka back to the house. Tenchi reluctantly agreed.  
  
Aeka wrapped her arms around the back of Tenchi neck, as he hoisted her up on his back to carry her. He insured that she was comfortable, and then began to make his way back to the house. For the moment it was if they were old friends from childhood. After they reached the bottom of the stairway, Aeka spoke to him.  
  
"Thank you."  
  
"For what?"  
  
"For taking care of me. You and your grandfather have been so kind. I will forever be in your debt."  
  
"Don't mention it. So, you lost your memory?"  
  
"Yes, I can not remember anything beyond my name."  
  
"It's probably to the best."  
  
"Excuse me?"  
  
"You have nothing to lose. At the moment, everything that surrounds you is a new possibility. You have no responsibilities weighing you down. You can go where you want, do what you want, and no one dictates your life."  
  
Aeka thought about what he just said. His words did ring true, but she still had an emptiness that she felt. The world was a new place based on her condition, but she could not feel peace with the knowledge that she lost her past life to acquire this one. She tightened her grip around Tenchi's neck, and he repositioned her on his back. Aeka thought about the things she saw when she looked at the cave and decided to ask Tenchi about it. He quickly responded.  
  
"Don't go there. It's a dangerous place. It's dark, damp, and could cave in. On top of that, there is a legend that tells that the cave is cursed. It's best that you avoid it at all cost."  
  
Aeka tried not to show any interest to his warning. At the moment she just rested her head on the back of his neck and reflected on the images she saw. Tenchi carried her back to the house. When he got there she had already dozed off. He made and effort not to wake her, as he laid her on the floor and placed a cover over her. The young man stepped away from her, but as he did, he fixed his sight on her face. He harshly turned his head away. His mind was in turmoil over the young girl. Tenchi knew that he had to stay away from her. For his sake, and hers... 


	4. The Nigh chpt. 4

Over the next few days Aeka made herself more at home. She took on some of the chores for Lord Katsuhito. At the crisp light of dawn she would get up before everyone and cook breakfast. The old priest found the attention pleasing, but his grandson was less enthused by her kind deeds. He did show appreciation to her, but never gratefulness. It was as if he didn't want her to get the feeling that she was wanted. By doing so Aeka would only try harder to get his respect and attention. She spent the rest of the morning cleaning up and each day at noon she would carry lunches out to them. While preparing lunch on the third day, her head began to hurt. Before she knew it, she became light-headed and toppled down to her knees. Her consciousness blacked out for a second.  
  
When she came to, she found she was no longer in the kitchen. Instead, it was a strange place. It was a vast space that had no definite up of down, nor left or right. It was dark, but she was not afraid. Things seem to move slowly. She looked around to see if there was something that she could focus in on, but there was only emptiness. Then she noticed a shadowy figure just beyond her. She observed that the figure seemed to be a man. He was practicing some swordplay. It held a glowing sword that looked strangely familiar to her. He moved gracefully as he stroked and slashed at the thick air. Aeka was amazed at his poise, as he stood proud and confident. The figure stopped its motions and took notice of her. He sheathed his sword and faced in her direction. Aeka felt strongly attracted to it. The figure raised one of his arms toward her and then she heard a voice speak out to her and say, "Aeka, I've been waiting for you. Where have you been? It doesn't matter, you're here now, and we can finally be together." Aeka's heart began to beat harder. She started to walk toward the figure, but with each step she took it seemed to take her further away. Her paced hurried, but the same problem occurred. She ran till the figured could barely be seen. Her surroundings began to dissipate, and the figure along with them. Her effort gave way and she could only yell out to it. Her breath fixated and she released a cry of, "Yosho!" before everything turned black again.  
  
When she came to this time, she found herself back in the kitchen on her knees. She was still muttering the name that she cried on instinct. It took a second for her to get a grip, but she snapped back to attention and realized that she was calling someone's name. She still couldn't remember the person's face or who he was, but she did have a name to work with. Aeka took a moment to stand up. She rubbed her head and then went back to preparing their lunches.  
  
After she finished she wrapped them in bento boxes and carried them to their recipients. She went to deliver Lord Katsuhito's first. He was inside of the shrine at this time of day. As she walked, she tried to put the fragmented memories she had together. She couldn't place a face with the name, but she knew it meant something to her. She quickly made her way up the stairway to the shrine. When she reached its entrance, she found the old man having tea. He had anticipated her arrival. Aeka handed him his meal, then she joined him at the table. She took a moment to correctly choose her words, and then she told him about what she saw when while preparing his meal. The old man nearly choked on a water chestnut after hearing her. He cleared his throat and began to speak.  
  
"Hm... What you say is very intriguing. Are you sure the name you recall is Yosho?"  
  
"Yes. I can't place a face, but the name I can definitely remember as important."  
  
"Hm. Very interesting indeed. You see my name is Yosho."  
  
"You're name is Yosho, but why did you tell your name is Lord Katsuhito?"  
  
"It is my dear. My birth name is Yosho, but when I became a priest I had to take on a holy name."  
  
"Please forgive me sir, but the figure that I saw looked to be younger, and he seemed to have a swordsman."  
  
"Well, that could be Tenchi then. I've never been much of a sword handler, but the boy has grown to be an expert at swordsmanship. However, he doesn't do it anymore. He gave up the art a while back. There is one other thing that could help link it to him. Tenchi's name is Yosho also.  
  
"Wait did he change his name also."  
  
"Heh, not exactly. His name is Tenchi, but his mother nicknamed him Yosho after me. One of our family traditions is for loved ones to give certain things the same name as family members. For me, I named my favorite tree after my daughter Achika. She married and left me quite some time ago. She lives far away, so she wanted a way to keep me on her mind. After she had Tenchi she decided to give him my name as a nickname. Normally, we only gave family member names to objects, so I was greatly honored when I found she nicknamed her son after me."  
  
Aeka reeled from the words that were spoken to her. For the first time since Lord Katsuhito had found her, she felt as if she had grasped a piece of her pass life. She rose from the table and picked up the lunch that she prepared for Tenchi. She then bowed to the old man and hurried out of the door to make her delivery and to inform the young man of what she had learned from her memory flash and from his grandfather. With some luck he could possibly make some sense of things. During that time of day, she new she could find him somewhere near the garden patches. She came up adjacent to a storage shed. With a few more steps she was able to see him just beyond the edge of the shed. She was about to press forward, but she halted her motion as a horrible sense of fear over-whelmed her. Akea thought to herself; what good could come from the knowledge she now possessed? What if Tenchi was the Yosho that she saw in her vision? His conduct toward her never was promising, but Lord Katsuhito did tell her that Tenchi cared for her as if they were family. Could anything good come from this?  
  
"Aeka, I've been waiting for you. Where have you been? It doesn't matter, you're here now, and we can finally have lunch."  
  
"What!? Oh, yes. You startled me," said the young lady as a slight shock hit her from the near exact words he spoke to her matched what she had heard in her vision.  
  
"Oh, forgive me. I didn't mean to scare you. I hope you have some ramen today."  
  
"No, I fixed dumplings."  
  
"You didn't have to go through that trouble for me, but thanks anyway. Is there something on your mind? You look a little perplexed."  
  
"Oh, it's nothing. It's just that..."  
  
"Wait there's something I want to say to you. I want to apologize for not being sensitive to you. I know you've been going out of your way to do nice things for my grandfather and me. Unfortunately, I judged you wrongly when we first met. For that, I am deeply sorry. Will you forgive me?"  
  
"Lord Tenchi? You do not have to apologize to me. I should be thanking you for taking care of me when I was ill. Your grandfather told me you put in extra time for me. For that I will always be in your gratitude. Here, allow me to serve you now."  
  
"Sure, but on one condition. You brought too much for just me to eat. Please stay and join me. I could use the company if you don't mind, and you don't have to say Lord Tenchi. Just saying Tenchi will be fine."  
  
"Thank you, and I would like that."  
  
The two found shade under a tree and had their lunch. For the first time Aeka felt truly happy that Tenchi took the time out so they could both enjoy each other's company. Before they knew it, over an hour had passed. Tenchi helped gather the remains and gave them to Aeka to take back to the house. When she got there she found Lord Katsuhito waiting on the porch. He asked her what Tenchi thought about her vision. She told him that she had not told him about it yet, and she would like to wait a little longer before she did. Tenchi was just now starting to open up to her, and she didn't want to drop something like that on him so soon. For the most part, the little that she knew about him was far greater than what he knew about her. It'd be unfair if she let him know what she knew. Lord Katsuhito agreed with her and promised not to mention anything to Tenchi. With that said, Aeka went to finish her chores, while the old man went to do his daily blessings. The rest of the day seemed to go by quickly. 


End file.
